Complaint lodged over council’s decision to back supermarket

Ryedale District Council has faced a wave of criticism following the decision on Thursday last week to approve plans for the superstore in Malton amid fears the move will decimate the town’s independent retail sector. The Tory-run council is in line for a £5m windfall after agreeing to sell off the Wentworth Street car park which will be used for the supermarket development.

The Yorkshire Post has learnt that Coun Lindsay Burr, a Liberal Democrat member of the planning committee for the last 15 years, has submitted the formal objection to the council’s chief executive, Janet Waggott, about the way in which a site visit to the car park was conducted on Monday last week.

Coun Burr, who represents Malton on the council, confirmed the formal objection is the first such complaint she has made during her 16 years on the council.

She said: “In all the time that I have been a member of the planning committee, I have never attended a site visit quite like it. A site visit should be about getting an objective view as to how a development will fit in with its surroundings. But while we were there we were given an all-singing, all-dancing presentation from the developers as to how beneficial the supermarket would be.

“My concern has always been that the council’s leadership had already decided that they wanted to sell off the car park, and it was a done deal. It cannot be denied there is a need for investment in Malton. But it needs to be done in a sympathetic manner which provides an economically viable future for the town.”

The formal complaint was lodged on the morning of the council’s planning committee meeting, during which the supermarket application was approved by 10 votes to five. A rival retail scheme which would have re-developed Malton’s livestock market was thrown out by 11 votes to four. The Fitzwilliam Estate, which has owned much of Malton town centre for the past 300 years, had put forward plans for a smaller food store on the market site.

Ms Waggott confirmed Coun Burr’s complaint would be “fully investigated”, but added: “As far as I am aware, the site visits for both applications were conducted in the correct manner. The council will look into the concerns raised, but councillors were given the same amount of time to look at both sites.”

The developers behind the supermarket plans, GMI Holbeck Land, confirmed six representatives, including a highways consultant and two architects, had met councillors during the site visit to address questions about access and how the supermarket would fit alongside existing retailers.

A spokeswoman added: “We knew that there would be a lot of questions from councillors, so that is why we had so many representatives there. But is was not a presentation, it was fairly informal.”

While the council has approved the planning application for the supermarket, it is not the end of the saga. The Government could still call in the decision for a public inquiry, and the Fitzwilliam Estate could launch an appeal - although it is understood such a legal challenge could cost £250,000.

Coun Paul Andrews, who also represents the Malton ward, urged the estate to pursue an appeal as it is “honour-bound” to support its tenants. The estate has confirmed it is considering its options.

Coun Andrews added: “It was a shameful display of sheer arrogance from a political leadership which will not listen and does not want to listen to understandable public concerns.”

But while council leader Keith Knaggs admitted the district had been guilty of complacency in the past, he was adamant the supermarket is vital to rejuvenate the faltering local economy.

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